1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print control device, a print control method and a computer program, and more particularly to a print control device which is connected to another print control device via a communication network such as the Internet, etc., a print control method and a computer program.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, there has been known a form sheet printing system for printing a form sheet which is a fixed format consisting of ruled lines and characters.
In a form sheet printing system, print attributes with respect to form sheet data can be set in accordance with purposes such as determination of an output format of a form sheet. The term “form sheet data” as used herein refers to (1) a group of files which can be divided into a constantly fixed element such as ruled lines, etc. and an element varying according to documents embedded in the fixed element, or (2) data obtained by converting the two kinds of elements described above. The fixed element is hereinafter referred to as a form; the element varying according to documents is referred to as embedded data; data obtained by converting (overlaying) the two kinds of elements is referred to as form sheet data.
Print attributes may be set by a user employing an editor or the like when a form sheet is designed, or may be dynamically set at the time of printing by use of a form sheet printing system based on a server/client system. The print attributes thus set are described in form sheet data to be printed.
In prior art form sheet printing systems, a server/client system using a network is employed as a principal system. A server, clients and output devices are connected with each other via a network; print attributes can be set by each client with respect to a printing device specified as an output destination.
In form sheet printing systems based on a server/client system, a server typically manages form sheet data. When receiving form sheet print elements including the above described print attributes from a client, a server analyses the request and set the analyzed print attributes into an output destination printing device so that the form sheet is outputted from the specified printing device.
Disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-44344 is a technique in which a client side of a client/server system acquires sheet type information for an image input/output device, the information being applied to a user interface provided by a printer driver.